It's not honey. It's not maple syrup. It's not dates.
So what can I eat?
This is a common question for those struggling with weight loss issues, diabetes or prediabetes, or digestive conditions.
The biggest no-no for folks challenged by weight management, digestion, and diabetes is most definitely refined sugar and other sweet foods. However, when healthcare professionals ban sugar, they usually don’t offer alternatives, and people are stuck in the sweetener aisle of the grocery store choosing between 3,000+ options. Yikes.
But what do I do about my sweet tooth? If you are like me, you love your sweets. I come from Cuban lineage and chewing on sugarcane was like brushing teeth 3 times a day. While I am not going to suggest that you find a sugar cane field when your sweet tooth calls, I am going to recommend my favorite natural sweetener,
Yacón syrup.
Made from the Tuber, Yacón, this thick syrup has a caramel taste and has about half the sugars as honey. But it’s expensive! What’s the difference, really?
While it may be more expensive in the U.S., let’s consider the cost of diabetes, for example. According to the American Diabetes Association, 88 million Americans have prediabetes. People diagnosed with diabetes incur average medical expenditures of $16,752 per year and almost $10,000 of that is attributed to diabetes. Now that is expensive!
Benefits of Yacón
Refined sugar is an anti-nutrient. I’ll go into this in another post—it’s wild. Yacón is not only more delicious than sugar, it also has many health benefits. Yacón syrup is composed of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), inulin, and a small amount of glucose and fructose.
FOS is a soluble fiber that forms a gel which makes digestion nice and slippery for waste to move through nicely. Yes, Yacón can help you poop.
Both FOS and inulin are prebiotics that feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut. We know a healthy gut is key for our mental health, immune health, physical health, and more.
Yacón syrup has about 1/3 of the calories of sugar and has a very low glycemic load. This means, you can use more this syrup and your blood sugar levels won’t spike.
Curious to learn more?
If you want a deep dive into Yacón, my YouTube video goes into the ins and outs of this food and discusses in depth the many health benefits of Yacón. I hope you leave here feeling empowered to satisfy your sweet tooth in a way that also benefits your health condition and overall well-being.
Remember, with purpose, perseverance, and pain as our teacher, we can heal. -Sofía